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Wonderful FestivalsFestivals In Guyana are tourism attractions in their own right, eve Christmas'tis the season to be jolly, and Guyana celebrates Christmas with gusto. Shops and residences are decked out in flashy, multi-coloured lights. Even though only a little more than half of all Guyanese are Christian (approximately a third of Guyanese are Hindu and perhaps 10% are Muslim), almost everyone celebrates Christmas, if only as an annual family gathering. Christmas in Guyana is less materialistic than it is in North America--the emphasis is on people, and not on things. Between Christmas Eve and Boxing Day, people go to church, feast with family and friends, share a few shots of rum or vodka, eat black cake, and catch up on one another before the year ends. Among the Amerindians of the North Rupununi, some people travel to visit relatives in other communities; in many villages, it is common for the inhabitants to engage in communal games and sports, and also to indulge in a cassava-based spirit called parakari. Guyanese prepare many wonderful dishes at christmas, in particular Black cake (rum cake), Garlic pork, pepper-pot and many others. Don't miss a chance to visit Guyana for a relaxing, old fashioned Christmas. Indian Arrival DayGeorgetown (Guyana): People in Guyana are all set to celebrate the 168th anniversary of the arrival of Indians in this Caribbean country with a series of events.May 5 is observed as Indian Arrival Day in Guyana. It was on this day in 1838 that the first group of indentured labour from India arrived in Guyana to work in sugar plantations. Their descendants today comprise 50 percent of Guyana's population of over 750,000. A series of fairs, called Indian Melas, are being organised by the Indian Arrival Committee (IAC), a non-profit, non-governmental organisation formed in early 2003. Phagwah The origin of Phagwah or Holi can be traced to the Hindu holy scriptures Vishnu Purana in which there is the story of an evil King Hiranyakashipu who wanted to destroy his own son Prahalad for worshipping God and not himself (the king). According to the scriptures, Hiranyakashipu then made a plot with his sister Holika to destroy the child Prahalad by fire, for being disobedient to him. Instead, Holika perished in the inferno while Prahalad survived, thus establishing victory for good deeds over evil ones. The tradition of the burning of Holika continues and precedes the actual day on which Phagwa is celebrated. 
Musical instruments used in the early days were mainly percussion - dholak (drum), kartaal, jhaal and majeera. These instruments are still used today I the chowtal singing that accompanies Phagwah celebrations. Songs for the occasion are dedicated to Hindu deities Lord Shiva, Lord Krishna and Lord Rama.celebrants choose coloured powder showering abir on others, covering the landscape with clouds of colours, thus giving phagwah it's meaning "Festival of Colors".People move from house to house in the neighbourhood, applying abir on the faces and clothing of their friends and families in the selected colours of red, green, blue, yellow, pink, purple and orange.
EasterThe Festival of Easter that celebrates the crucifixion and ascension of Christ is another period of hightened activity in Guyana. A visitor will have the experience of seeing thousands of colorful kites of all shapes and sizes dotting the sky on Easter Monday., over the seawall, and stretching east and west along the coast. Easter is also the regatta time, when hundreds of visitors flock to Bartica the 'gateway to the interior' for a weekend of speedboat racing, music and pageantry. During this period Enjoy also the Rupununi Rodeo at which hardy 'vacqueros' pit their strength and skill against self-willed horses and bulls.
Deepavali
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n though they are not conceived or even executed with tourism in mind. Local festivals are either religious or secular in origin and their observances may be at the community or national level. Some festivals because of their significance in the life of the nation or particular group, have national holidays attached to them and participation is very often across cultural boundaries. Indeed one feature of Guyanese festival culture is the extent to which there is enthusiastic participation from non-members of non practitioners in the particular cultural event. Religious Festivals in Guyana, although spiritual in origin, have developed strong secular features that make those celebrations the property of all Guyanese. Deepavali, Christmas, Phagwa, Eid-Ul-fitr and Easter Celebrations, although rooted in the religious experience of one faith, find lively celebrants among non-devotees. This creates a cultural openness and accommodation that eases the way for visitors to share and participate in any cultural festival. 
Deepavali is the Hindu Festival of lights and is celebrated in grand style by, among other observances, the lighting of thousands of diyas and a visually spectacular motorcade in a number of communities. The ceremonial lighting of the diyas and the stunning, lighted motorcade are activities that celebrate and symbolize the triumph of good over evil. Motorcade and lightning of diyas are both eagerly awaited events by all sections of society, and an unforgettable experience for visitors.
will come together to celebrate and showcase their products and resources. On September 10 there will be an Amerindian Heritage Day celebration at Santa Rosa which is the Heritage Month village for the year. During the month-long commemoration, Amerindians will be involved in cultural, sports and environmental activities in and out of their communities.
nd celebrate with diverse colours the true spirit of unity. Truly at the end of the year and the beginning of a new one, this festival connotes the togetherness and festivity of the period and reflects the love and hospitality that Guyanese are known for all over the world.